Two Sweet Worlds

Just two years ago - almost to the day - I sat out on the patio at my favourite coffee shop writing about how I felt out of place, wondering how I would fit in with the urban crowd. Only a few months in my downtown apartment, freshly on sabbatical, I had no clue what the next year would bring. This afternoon I returned to my old stomping grounds and I've no doubt that I managed to carve myself a place as an urbanite. I felt quite at ease sitting in that same coffee shop rereading my thoughts captured in a spiral notebook that uncertain day.

I miss my old place sometimes. I miss its proximity to the energy of downtown, the patios of Elgin Street and the Canal. Sitting there today felt odd at first, like revisiting a love lost after the break-up, but after the first sip of coffee it felt good.

It's comforting to know that I can go back, get my fix and come home to a place that's different, but just as sweet. I write this post sitting in my shady front porch, enjoying the birds and the breeze. Cassie is curled up at my feet and I look forward to a tasty BBQ dinner of chicken and fresh asparagus with D. It seems like today I get to enjoy the best of two worlds; what more can a girl ask for?

Snow Angels

A huge thank you to Bro-in-Law who, after a two and half hour run, dug out my car this weekend. And a huge thank you to D. who, after recieving a plea from a very overwhelmed yours truly, drove from Barrhaven to downtown with an extra shovel to help me out.

I'm so blessed. And so was D. that day - by the time he got here Bro-in-Law was done. I've never seen a man handle a shovel that fast!

Snow!

wheel-deep in snow

Help! I scratched my head trying to come up with a strategy to dig myself out, but really the only thing to do is start digging - one shovelful at a time. At least it's a beautiful day to do so, and I've already accepted that there's no way the car is going anywhere today.

However on a less Zen note, just to show you the dichotomy that is me, I'd like to really REALLY thank the people who, when clearing out their driveway, decided to put the snow in front of my car instead of behind the car on the other side. REALLY thank you.

And It's Open!

The Rideau Canal is open for business! I just came back from a one-hour walk along the Canal and it's beautiful. People of all ages, shapes and sizes are enjoying the outdoors and the experience of skating on the World's largest skating rink.

There was so much to take in.

I delighted in watching skaters confidently weave their way in & out of the crowd as much as I enjoyed watching beginners teeter through their first strides - children and adults alike. I smiled at the sight of a group of young girls wearing ankle-length skirts and bonnets on their heads, laughing and chattering as they skated almost in unison. But the highlight was without a doubt watching a little bundle of pink Gore-Tex discover the properties of ice as she repeatedly kicked a piece of frozen snow, oblivious to the world around her.

It took a lot of energy to get my butt off the couch and into the cold but the energy gained from the experience was well worth it. Next time I might even strap on the skates.

Favourite Things: Curlicued Radiators

curlicues on radiator: function and art

As a farewell homage to my beloved apartment I decided to revive the Favourite Things theme I started last year. This morning I played with my camera, trying to capture some of my favourite features in my home.

Since Day 1 I've admired the curlicues on my radiators and pointed them out to many a visitor. They just don't make 'em like that anymore.

The End of an Experiment

I've been wanting to write for a few days now but since my apartment is full of move-related "to-do's" these days, I realized the only way I'd write anything would be by escaping them completely. So here I am happily perched with my laptop at my favourite coffee shop.

I wasn't even sure what to write about when it dawned on me that two years ago this week I moved to my sweet downtown apartment. Although the blog came a few weeks later, my urban living experiment has hit its two-year mark. Wow.

Enhanced by my sabbatical, the past two years have been a whirlwind of emotion, laughter, tears, friendship, new experiences, independence, discovery and love.

Going in, my goal was to stay at least two full years in my apartment - I craved stability. I did it. I gave myself a home. I built an amazing circle of friends. I fell in love. I had tea, I did lunch, I got drunk. I danced, I skated, I hiked. I explored, I hunkered, I relished what life had to offer. It was an amazing journey for which I am forever grateful.

Soon my urban living experiment as I know it will come to an end. Although technically I'll still be in the city, it will be different. As it should be. So I will enjoy the few weeks I have left in my urban home and continue my experiment 'til the end. After that? I guess I'll be busy relishing what comes next.

Saturday Greatness

What a great day this is turning out to be. I guess the peaceful energy set during last night's Solstice celebration carries on. So far I've ...

• enjoyed a leisurely breakfast of eggs, freshly brewed Costa Rican Cloudforest blend and toasts with Mom's apple jelly
• listened to Stuart MacLean's classic tale Dave Cooks a Turkey on CBC's Vinyl Cafe
• chatted and giggled with Mom and Sis over the phone
• found the perfect parking spot on my freshly cleaned street (hurray for the cleanup crew!)
• sipped more coffee at Bridgehead
• walked around my neighbourhood, taking in the winter scenery before tomorrow's rain
• rented the ultimate Christmas chick flick (and D., my Christmas gift to you ... I won't subject you to watching it with me!)

All that and it's only mid-afternoon. Saturdays are awesome.

And The Snow Falls

The snow continues to fall, the city continues to reel from the latest 37cm of snow received Sunday and this urban chick is quickly remembering how annoying parking on snowy streets can be.

I spent the last four days hunkered in suburbia with D. and the luxury of a dedicated driveway hoping that maybe by today, my street would be plowed. HA! It hasn't even been touched! At least I was lucky enough to drift sideways into one of the few remaining spots available.

Two-lane streets have become one, cars and pedestrians negotiate snow banks, an OC Transpo driver digs out his bus as I write. What a wild and snowy winter this is turning out to be!

Country Mouse, City Mouse

As D. and I search rental ads for a place to live in the new year, despite my love of urban living I'm reminded of a love for all things country. This ad made my heart skip a beat:

"Beautiful 20 acre rural property, perfect for a scholar with outdoor interests. This two bedroom, 1.5 bath house has a large library with built-in bookshelves and an office with plenty of work space, a screened verandah, sun deck, large sunny kitchen, flower and vegetable gardens, walking trails in the forest, a picnic area with sand dunes, and a labyrinth in the back field. ..."

Swoon.

Country mouse or city mouse? I guess a bit of both.

Holiday Shopping Traffic - Ick!

This afternoon I visited Suburbia Shopping Grand Central for one specific gift on my Christmas list. After about 10 minutes in the car I was exhausted. And I wasn't driving!

I think one of the side effects of urban living is a decreased tolerance (or increased INtolerance) for the four-weeks-before-Christmas shopping traffic and its resulting parking lot chaos. I do not miss it one bit.

Holiday traffic sucks. Three cheers for online shopping and the walk-everywhere convenience of living in the city!

Saturday Errands in the City

I just got back from my regular Saturday errands:

bank machine
wine store
bakery
flower shop
coffee shop
local grocer

All these stops in less than an hour without getting in the car.

I so love proximity.

Gas Stations – An Urban (In)Convenience

One of my few urban living pet peeves is a seeming lack of conveniently located service stations.

In the burbs there's practically a place to fuel up on every corner, which makes it easy to swing by on the way to or from work when the dreaded empty indicator comes on. Downtown, swinging by the gas station often involves having to know precisely where it is ahead of time, negotiating a series of one-way streets to find it, then negotiating another set of one-way streets to get back to the direction towards which you were driving in the first place.

After almost two full years as an urbanite, I finally found a service station that's perfectly located! It's on my way to work, involves no squiggly detours through city streets and is two traffic lights from an on-ramp to the 417.

No longer do I need to panic at the sight of the dreaded orange miniature gas tank on my console. Hurray for that!

A Whole Lotta Goodness

It seems I've been a fairweather blogger lately, but tonight I write. Nothing fancy, I just write. It feels good.

For the first time in about six months, I felt inspired to pack up the ol' laptop and walk to my favourite café. The smell of fresh coffee, sound of background chatter and funky jazz rhythms are invigorating. I feel inspired and alive, and that feels good.

Slowly but surely I'm reincorporating bits & pieces of what made my sabbatical so fulfilling into an everyday life that now includes full time work. It feels good.

Whether it's hanging out at my favourite coffee shop, making myself healthy, wholesome meals or registering for an exercise class, it feels good.

Whether it's sleeping when I'm tired, rediscovering my creativity or taking in the urban vibe, it feels good.

I've pondered my career options, regained interest in local events, sustainability and simple living, and booked time off from work to attend my former Thursday morning writers group. It feels good.

For the first time in several weeks I feel eager to move on, to embrace life and become what I know I can be. And THAT my friends, just for today, feels oh so good.

A Day in the City

D. and I were up bright & early yesterday morning and decided to take advantage of it by spending a great day downtown.

Stop #1: Breakfast at the Elgin Street Diner
Friendly servers, oodles of coffee and a good ol' greasy breakfast. Need I say more?

Stop #2: Museum of Nature
Did you know that admission to the Canadian Museum of Nature is free Saturday mornings? We spent nearly two hours browsing the permanent galleries and a thought provoking exhibit called The GEEE! in GENOME that had interactive quizzes related to the responsibility, business and ethics of genomics. What a fun, educational, cheap way to spend a Saturday morning!

Stop #3: Bridgehead
After spending a few hours on our feet at the Museum it was time to sit down and relax with a cup of our favourite Bridgehead coffee. We walked down Metcalfe St. to the coffee house and enjoyed some of the architecture along the way.

Stop #4: Home for a bit of a rest

Stop #5: A 6.93km Urban Trek
Ok this isn't really a stop, but it was a major part of our day. We decided to check out a few addresses that had apartments for rent to get an idea of their surroundings. We ended up zigzagging through city streets for over two hours, exploring many neighbourhoods I'd never seen. When we got home we used the Gmaps Pedometer to discover we'd covered: 6.93km.

'Twas a good Saturday! I look forward to doing it again. And I think that last urban trek probably worked off a good portion of the greasy breakfast, non?

Urban Living Checkpoint: Week 80

I haven't commented on my urban living experiment in a long time, but after 80 weeks in my downtown apartment I'm still reminded of why I like urban living so much:

• proximity to the Ottawa Farmers' Market, where I can load up with local fresh veggies
• proximity to Nicastro's Italian deli, where I can load up with fresh mozzarella, romano and capicollo
• Patterson's Creek and its surrounding green space, where D. and I can picnic in the shade with Cassie by our side, and where the most enchanting weeping willow I've ever seen stands tall
• Bridgehead, Bridgehead and another Bridgehead, where I can enjoy good medium roasted coffee, and where they leave out a bowl of water for thirsty canines & birds

All these great places so close to my home ... no wonder I like living here.

Frugal Fun in the City

It's been a while since my last post; I just didn't have it in me these past few weeks. But I'm back to tell you about some frugal fun happening in the city! If you're watching your pennies, check out these activities ...

NCC's Opera Under the Stars
I may be a bit too late for this one (June 30th is the last night), but it's still worth a mention. How often do you get a chance to enjoy opera with full orchestra for free? And if you've never given opera a try but are curious, what better price is there to experiment?

RCMP Musical Ride Sunset Ceremonies
Also a bit late for this one, but at least you've got two days to catch it. The show runs from 7:00pm to 9:00pm tonight and tomorrow, Canada Day.

BOB FM's Movies on the Beach
This is fun. D. and I spent last night curled up under a blanket on the slopes of Westboro Beach, watching Jaws on a inflatable screen with the Ottawa River as a backdrop. It's the drive-in of yore enhanced by an incredible view. The next movie is scheduled for Friday July 13th - you can vote for your choice online. My vote goes to Psycho.

Centretown Movies
Another free movie festival, this time in the core of downtown. Movies are screened in Dundonald Park on Somerset, between Lyon and Bay. Movies coming up include Casablanca, Little Miss Sunshine and Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth.

These are just a few activities I've come across during the past few weeks and they're all free. You can't any more frugal than that!

Ottawa Farmers' Market

In the spirit of exploring local food supplies, I decided to check out the Ottawa Farmers' Market last Sunday. Its Web site promises that "all goods sold by the vendors who participate are produced by those vendors." Works for me.

Armed with an empty daypack, a bottle of water and my camera, I set out on foot on what turned out to be a gorgeous morning and a fulfilling experience.

The market itself was lovely: stalls with fresh asparagus, greens & berries, golden honey, herbs, perennials and preserves. A horse-drawn wagon loaded with families made its way through the parking lot, pulled by what looked like a pair of Clydesdales. The icing on the cake? A man sitting in the middle of it all strumming his guitar, singing Murray McLauchlan's Farmer's Song - a song heard oh so many times in my household, where Dad used to strum & sing it every Sunday morning too.

Although some of the vendors I was hoping to see were absent, I found others. I'd gladly return. Next week I plan to explore Ottawa's Organic Farmers' Market, but that'll be another post.

The Ottawa Farmers' Market is held every Sunday at Lansdowne Park from 8:00am to 3:00pm.

Finally ... Corktown Bridge over the Canal

Last August I wrote about how the city was considering naming the new footbridge crossing the Rideau Canal Corktown Bridge, to honour the Irish immigrants that helped build the Canal with picks & shovels in the early 1800's. Corktown was the raunchy settlement of huts housing the workers at the time.

Public consultations were held this week and after 9 months, the name of Corktown finally beat other nominees by a landslide. Now all that's left is for it to get final approval from city council. I love it!

Read more here.

Runners Runners Everywhere

This weekend was the Ottawa Race Weekend. Once again, downtown streets were filled with folks wearing spandex and race bibs. Once again, I spent the earlier portion of Saturday evening cheering on thousands of 10km runners - beautiful people of all ages, shapes and sizes giving it their all. I didn't know anyone; I just cheered for the sheer joy of it and the rush of witnessing individuals working towards a noble goal, some more laboriously than others.

Last year watching the 10km runners file along city streets inspired me to sign up for a Learn to Run clinic at the Running Room, which led me to complete my first 5km. Although I'm not planning to sign up again, I did feel an itch to pull out the ol' running shoes & spandex. I'll keep you posted ... :)

Montreal - A Rich Experience

I've so many things to say about my last-minute escape to Montreal I don't know where to start. Do I talk about what I did? About how I did it? About travelling slowly? About travelling solo? And what about Maurice Denis, Marguerite Bourgeoys and the Blue Morpho butterfly that landed on my hand?

The trip was full of new experiences and discoveries, interspersed with a few very emotional moments brought on by the colours and words of French painter Maurice Denis, and the vision and courage of Montreal co-foundress Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys.

I suspect a series of posts describing some of these experiences will be forthcoming. Thoughts and insights are floating around in my head in various states of completeness. It might take me a few days to craft them into legible text.

Such a rich experience in only a few days ...